US1981651A - Surgical needle and suture - Google Patents

Description

1934- o. J. LOGAN 1,981,651

SURGICAL NEEDLE AND SUTURE Filed June 25, 1933 INVENTOR UWf/V [Zoe/6W ATTORNEY 7 Patented Nov. 20, 1934 UNITED STA-mas orza ics- This invention relates to surgical needles-and sutures.

The surgical needles -at present in most-common use are provided with an eye-for th'e passage-of the suture. v This requiresa needle-having a relatively large' shaft where the eye is formed therein and such a needle makes a relativelylarge hole in the flesh which, of course,.-'is highly undesirable. When an .eyed need-le is threaded, the suture is doubled at least :adjacent the needie and the suture passes doubled through :the flesh. This also makesa relatively large hole in the :fleshand the drawing of the two strands of the suture 'through th'e flesh 'cuts the same often at two different points.

Needles have heretofore-been constructed-to hold the end of a suture so that the suture will extend in a single strand from theneedle; In the only construction'of which applicant "is informed by whioh' this result is secured, theend and '2 of the-drawing the invention is applied to acurved surgicalneedle indioated'as a whole'at :2. Theneedle =comprisesa body "or-shaft indicated of the needle opposite the point is slit and the suture is inserted in this slit in theneedle after which the metal along the slit portion-isswaged over the suture to hold the same in place. For this reason the needle can be used with only one suture. This construction also has the disadvantage that rough edges are often formed along the slit and these injure the flesh in passing through the same.

Certain objects of the present invention are to improve the construction and mode of operation of surgical needles and sutures and to produce a construction in which the needle is attached to the end of a suture so that the suture extends in a single strand from the needle and in which the needle may be attached successively to different sutures.

Other important objects of the invention are to produce a needle and suture construction in which the needle may be quickly and easily attached to the end of a suture so as to leave only one strand of the suture extending from the needle and in which there will be no rough edges formed on the shaft of the needle.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in a needle and suture embodying the novel and improved features and constructions hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claim, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The various features of the invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawing illustrating the invention in its preferred forms and the following detailed description ofthe construction therein shown,

In the -drawing,--

Figure l is a view in side elevation illustrating a curved surgical needle and suture embodying 0 the=inventiongi Figure 2 is'a view of-the needle illustrated in Figure -1 partly 'in -side elevationand partlyin --the--axis of the needle and illustrating a construction embodying the invention-in modified form as applied-toe straight needle; and

Figure '4 tea 'view'partly in side elevation and partly in=-section taken in a plane containing the axis of the needle and illustrating another modifiedform 'of the invention.

In the construction illustrated in Figures l at 4 to the rear end of whichis'detachably connected a suture holding member or element indicated at 6 which, in the construction illustrated, is made in the form of a tube.

In order to secure the element 6 to the shaft 4 of the needle, the said element is provided with a series of screw threads indicated at 11 which are 5 arranged to engage a corresponding series ofscrew threads 13 formed on a reducedportion 15 of the needle shaft. The element 6 thus is se-' cured to the shaft of the needle so that it forms an extension of said shaft. The diameter of the element 6 where it joins the shaft to the needle is preferably made substantially the same as the diameter of the rear end of the shaft so that when these parts are connected the surface of said element will be substantially flush with the surface of the shaft.

The suture is indicated at 8 and is connected with the shaft of the needle by means of the holding element 6. As shown in Figure 2, the outer end of the tubular element is contracted as indi- 0 until its passage is stopped by the engagement of theknot 12 with the wall of the tube. The suture may then be attached to the needle by threading the element 6 onto the rear end of the shaft of the needle.

In the construction shown in Figure 3 the needle indicated as a whole at 2a is provided with hold the end of the suture from being drawn through the element 611. This enlargement is not formed by a knot in the suture as in the construction shown in Figure 2 but is produced by a swelling of the suture. This swelling may be effected by dipping the suture in acid or sterilizing compound.

In the construction shown in Figure 4 the needle indicated at 2b comprises a shafteb and a tubular element 62) threaded on the rear end of said shaft and having its outer end contracted as indicated at 10?). The suture indicated at 811 is provided at its inner end with asleeve 16 secured thereto. This sleeve preferably is constructed of (a relatively soft metal and its outside diameter is such that it will pass into the element Gbbut that it will not pass through the contracted end thereof.

The sleeve is secured on a. suture by swaging the same so as to contract the sleeve to grip the suture.

It will .be noted that in the present construction the entire needle is provided with a smooth outer surface which readily passes through the flesh and that there are no rough edges which might tear or otherwise injure the flesh. The surface of the shaft of the needle is flush with and blends smoothly intotheouter surface of thetubular member 6 which attaches the suture to said shaft so that the entire needle may be easily drawn through the flesh.

After a needle has been used in sewing up a wound the suture used in the operation may be to maintain a number of sutures with attaching elements 6 ready for use and these may be successively attached to the same needle.

' If desired, of course, after each operation the holding element 6 may be detached from the shaft of the needle and the suture removed from said element. After the sterilization of the needle and holding element a new suture may be inserted in the said element and the element again attached to. the needle.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts of the illustrated embodiment of the invention but that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the claim.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and having specifically described ceris claimed is:

In combination, a surgical needle having a point and a shaft and a shell-like suture holder,

means enabling the holder to be attached to and its outer surface flush with the shaft at the point of attachment thereto, and being of equal diameter with said shaft throughout a substantial distance from its-point of attachment, said holderf being stream-lined towards its end remote from the shaft and having its bore so reduced adjacent a said end as to serve as holding means for a suture.

OWEN J. LOGAN.

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